A reaction to the notion that technology-based artworks lack the ability to evoke emotion in the viewer, “Alphaville Under Construction” offers an alternative to the idea that digital culture is antagonistic to affect. The exhibition takes its name from “Alphaville: Une Etrange Aventure de Lemmy Caution,” Godard's film of 1965 in which he imagines a futuristic society ruled by logic, where all words relating to emotion have been removed from the lexicon and all sense of personal and communal memory has been lost.

Often, the products of contemporary digital culture (web sites, e-mail, peer to peer networks) are driven by the economics of speed and efficiency leading to an experience that is cold and standardized. The lack of engaging emotional content in contemporary digital culture does not reflect a limitation of the medium, but instead stems from cultural notions about the nature and purpose of technology. Originating from the idea that our encounters with technology have the potential to create interesting and different arenas for affective experience, the projects presented in “Alphaville Under Construction” strive to open up the emotive possibilities of online tools.

“Alphaville Under Construction” debuts on September 2, 2005 at www.inliquid.com.

InLiquid.com is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) web-based membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities and exposure for visual artists and designers, serving as a free public hub for arts information and resources, and making the visual arts more accessible to a broader audience. More than just an online presence, InLiquid also nurtures our creative community through a continuing series of “non-virtual” art exhibitions and events.